Eureka Enviro Hard-Surface Floor Steamer,313A
by Electrolux Home Products (floorcare)
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Eureka Enviro Hard-Surface Floor Steamer,313A
Customer Review: The one time it worked..it was ok.
Summary: 2 Stars
Really disappointed in this item. My house is 2500 sq ft all hardwood floors or tile, no carpet to speak of. My wife spends quite a bit of time, every week mopping. She ends up filling the kitchen sink 3 times to mop the entire house and I watch her constantly running back and forth to the kitchen to do her mopping - I figured there had to be a more efficient way for her. After reading the reviews on this floor steamer, I was sold - especially A. Chandler's very thorough review which I found several inconsistencies (Read at the bottom). I bought it Dec 8th 2010 to give to her as a Christmas gift, excited that she would spend less time mopping. Well she fired it up Sunday after Christmas and steamed the floors. It did indeed remove quite a bit of dirt, the pads were nasty black. We were sold. Fast forward to tonight, she vacuumed then got the steamer out ready to clean the floors with her steamer for the second time. She did roughly half the house then asked me to come take a look at the steamer, something didn't seem right. Sure enough, no steam - not even hot. The water empty indicator light was not on, and upon dumping it at the sink, there was indeed some water still in the tank. She has been sure not to overfill it, and as others have indicated the first time she used it, it basically poured water out. We let it sit, unplugged for quite sometime, plugged it back in and turned it on green light came on and ---- and no heat...dead...Needless to say she is disappointed, and I am pretty upset. While filling the sink to finish with the old reliable mop (as I am writing this review) she turned and mentioned somethings that I would have never noticed that she wasn't necessarily happy with - she said its not quite as maneuverable as a mop (obviously) so it makes a little more work there to get around the floors. Also the cord, while some have mentioned being long or on the longer side, we found to be not long at all, but more average - I have laptop power supplies that have longer cords. Last she had issues with the handle, while pushing it around the floor sometimes she said it just felt "wonky" and sometimes would unlock and slide together.
So when it worked, it seemed to clean pretty good. But to only last 1 1/2 floor cleanings - I'm pretty upset of the quality control and since reading more recent reviews it seems others are having QC issues as well.
Now I did find several discrepancies from A. Chandler's review versus my actual steamer - And A. Chandler's review is basically what sold me on this particular unit.
Cord length - the entire cord length is just at 20 feet, not 25. If you clip it up at the top of the handle to keep it off the ground, you just lost about 3.5 feet, so total usable cord length is down to 16.5 feet. Trust me, I measured twice with a tape measure. Its 20 feet total length of cord.
Steam Temp - well, I cant test the actual steam output of the machine because its now dead, but the owners manual states "to disinfect a specific area, position the steamer over the area for a minimum of eight seconds. This allows the floor under the steamer to reach approximately 170F." Steam is the conversion of liquid water into its gas form and occurs at 212F - so all steamers would essentially have to get water to 212F to generate steam, what the temp is when it comes in contact with the floor is the actual question. I would have to assume this is Eureka's way of stating there steamer effectively heats/sanitizes the floor in which it is making contact at 170F, not 220F as A Chandler pointed out.
Build quality - handle is flimsy, plastic looks like it is rubbing/flaking off of the ball joint where the handle attaches to the base of the unit. Not only that, but unit died halfway into its 2nd use...cant say much about build quality.
Water Capacity - A Chandler states 20oz of water capactiy, this is contradictory with the owners manual which states 12 oz. They give you a funnel and a cup with a line on it, that line is at 6 oz, and they say fill the steamer with the cup twice. Out of all steamers reviewed, this statistic would place the Eureka in second to last place, not first.
Not taking anything away from A. Chandler's review but either the review was just plain wrong (I doubt that) or Eureka has updated/changed their steam cleaner, and not for the better. :(
Customer Review: Forget this and buy the Haan slim and light!
Summary: 1 Stars
I had this Enviro steamer and thought it was okay, but I had nothing to compare it to. Then the Enviro suddenly stopped working after just a few uses... very frustrating! That's when I decided to go with the Haan SI-35R, and I am SO glad I did!
Here is my comparison of the Enviro and the Haan slim and light....
WEIGHT:
*The Enviro was so heavy it made me tired and that was defeating the purpose of making cleaning easier with my back and joint problems.
*The Haan is very light and easily fits under things.
WATER TANKS:
*The Enviro had the water tank in the base and you have to get out the little cup and funnel they give you and pour two cupfuls into the base, now you need to have a place to store your cup and funnel and not lose them! Then when you are done, you have to pick up the heavy enviro and dump the leftover water out ... try doing that with the handle flopping around and the cord hanging there.
*The Haan has a detachable water tank on the handle that you simply pop off, fill, and snap back in place. No bending down, and no looking for funnels. It holds plenty of water. It is so simple to pour out any remaining water when finished.
HANDLE:
*The Enviro handle is adjustable but keeps working lose and slipping down while you mop. Very annoying! If I recall correctly, it also did not have a nice curved handle to hold onto. The hook to hold the cord out of the way while in use was useless, the cord kept slipping out of it. I've seen some reviewers state that there is only a small plastic pin holding the enviro handle on.
*The Haan handle is curved at the top and is a comfortable length. The handle appears to have one large sturdy looking connection to the base. You can hang this steamer up on a hook and store it out of the way if you like. There is a hook to keep the cord out of the way while in use. The upper and lower cord storage hooks have "quick release". I think the cord is thicker than the enviro one was. Although shorter, the cord length on the haan is fine for me. Even if I were to have to unplug and go to another outlet, it only takes a half minute to reheat.
PADS:
*The enviro pads are an all cotton waffle weave fabric that shrinks when you wash them. In my opinion they are too thick and bulky and do not let as much steam through, especially once they get wet...and they do become quite saturated. They were hard to clip onto the base. Which you have to crouch down to do. I was always worried the plastic clips would break and I'd have no way to hold the pads on. I never used it on my wood floor because I knew it left my ceramic tile too saturated. Someone suggested using an old towel for a pad. I tried this and the towel got soaked quickly and it became nearly impossible to push, which flared up my tennis elbow again!
**The haan pads are so nice! They velcro on. You just drop the pad on the floor and sit the cleaner on top of them and they stick just fine. Also, the pad center which sits under the steam holes is very thin so that the steam can easily shoot through it and more directly onto the floor instead of fighting it's way through the pad. It gets plenty hot! The pads are more absorbent than the enviro ones. I have used this cleaner on my sealed wood floor because I can see the steam go on them and see it evaporate almost immediately. Finally! A way to give my wood floors a light scrubbing.
DESIGN:
The haan wins for all around design. Light, short base, easy to fill and empty, lots of steam power, great pad system, good handle, easy storage.
As you can tell, I simply LOVE the Haan! It is everything they claim and more, and I could not ask for anything to be better! It is as close to perfect as you can get, in my opinion. If my Haan were to quit working I'd get it repaired or replace it with the same model. I love it that much. I could not say that for the Enviro, so I decided to purchase an extra warranty for the Haan. It may be a more expensive machine, but I am getting much more use out of it as it is so light and easy to use. I'd definitely recommend it.
Customer Review: Better after the first use!
Summary: 5 Stars
Some background on me: I had a Shark Pocket Steam Mop for about 13 months that I absolutely loved. I was very upset when it broke after only 13 months, and - before jumping in and buying another that might break in another 12 or 13 months - I decided to scour the reviews of steam mops and try to do a better job of selecting a unit that will stand the test of time. After reading a gazillion reviews about every steam mop I could find on the market, I selected this Eureka Enviro Steam Mop over several much more pricey steam mops. I selected this one not because of the price-point, but because of the overall good reviews. I was willing to spend up to $300-$400 for a good steam mop, but I selected this one at $60 because the reviews were the best I'd seen.
Out of the box, this unit was easy to assemble with very easy instructions. Just attach the extension handle, add water and a clean pad, wait for it to warm up and start cleaning. Not so fast!
On first use, I was absolutely sure I was going to hate this steam mop. Water went EVERYWHERE! I had to use a dry towel to mop the water off of my wood floor. I was nearly in tears because - if this unit didn't work after all of my research with no clear 2nd runner up - what was I going to do??? I was really upset, but I took a deep breath and decided to put it away and come back to it later.
A couple of hours later, I came back and tried again...this time with much better results. On this second try, I never really "saw" the steam. I knew it was working but I never saw the steam I was supposed to see before using the unit. That's a bit disappointing when you're use to the Shark Mop and its very visible (and loud) steam. But okay...it seemed to work okay for the most part. I finished a small area for my test run and decided to come back the next day for a more thorough evaluation.
So on to today...I prepared the unit and walked away for the required 3-4 minutes to warm up. THIS TIME, the steam was visible as it came out of the unit. Okay, then GAME ON!
This third time using the unit was 1000 times better than the first two attempts. First, it picked up the dried on dirt and gunk very nicely. Having a 6 year old who drops things on the floor constantly - and being without a mop for about 10 days - my floor was in desperate need of cleaning! This steam mop did a really nice job and even took up some gunk that my Shark Mop was unable to do the entire 13 months I had it.
Overall, I think I'm going to be very happy with this unit.
The GOOD:
- Cleans very well
- Very quiet
- Easy to use, but you need to move it at a slow pace
- Nice extension handle makes it less strain on the back.
- Water reservoir at the base of the unit makes pushing it very easy.
- I had to try using a regular dish cloth and I must admit I'm thrilled that I don't have to buy expensive pads
- No constant "pumping" to get the steam like the Shark Mop - steam comes out in a continuous flow
- Steam is spread out over the pad, rather than directed out at one spot
- Love that it has a tray to rest in when not in use.
- Love that the unit can stand upright and not be leaned against a wall
The BAD
- Initial uses must be a break-in period that can be a huge turnoff!
- Wish it was a bit flatter so that it would handle smaller areas a little better, but the water reservoir in the tank makes that a tradeoff.
- I'm not crazy about the waffled design of the pads that come with the unit. I'll probably buy dish towels as replacements.
- The cord really needs to be longer.
Overall, I would strongly recommend this unit. Just remember that there may be a break-in period on the first couple of uses. Give it a fair shot.
Customer Review: I AM SO FRUSTRATED!!!!
Summary: 1 Stars
This review is more about Eureka than the actual steam mop, although that mop isn't working out too well for me at the moment. I was super excited about getting the Eureka Steam mop, as I had read all of the great reviews. I also already had the Shark steamer and wasn't overly impressed with it. So when I got the first Eureka mop ( yes, the FIRST one), I was aware that I might have issues with water spilling out (as other reviewers mentioned) the first few times and then it would be fine. Well, that is exactly what happened. However, after using it for about a day or two after that, no steam would come out. I could hear some gurgling and that was it. I tried it several times before calling Eureka. They were "apologetic" and said they would need to check if my serial number was part of a "bad batch" that was sent to Amazon. The only reason they determined that a bad batch existed was because of receiving a series of complaints from other people whose serial numbers were in that "batch." So this all happened on a Saturday. Of course the representative said she would have to check with her superior and then they would have to call me back on MONDAY to let me know for sure. Of course Monday came and went, Tuesday....they never called so I think it was the end of the week by the time I had to call them again and they said something like , "Oh yeah, you should mail us your sticker with the model and serial number and it's best to do that thru priority mail." So I DID all that, and I was still fine with all of it, it happens sometimes, you get something defective and they replace it and then it's fine! So when I received the second mop, again I was excited because NOW I could really see how well this thing worked! I used it and steam was pouring out and it was great! Tried it a couple of times with no issues, and THEN.....water started pouring out through the pad all over the floor! And no more steam!!! Called Eureka again. Talked to rep AGAIN. She apologized several times and recited her robotic responses about sending out another one. I asked her if this happened for a third time, then what? I just have to keep putting up with it? She had no answer except her monotone response of, "I understand and I apologize." So then on the the SUPERVISOR who made it plain that all they could do is send out a new one, could not get any other refund or anything else for all of the inconvenience. I asked her, "So if this happens 10 more times, you would just keep sending out new ones?" She said yes! That seemed so absurd to me. I asked her, "Doesn't that seem silly to just send me a new one but you never ask for the defective one back? How will your company know what is going on? Does it matter to you guys all of the inconvenience this causes for the customer? Do you even know what type of quality control is going on when after having one defective model, to then get another one, and then not to have any real solution if it happens again then to say, "We will just send you a new one?" She had NOTHING constructive or sympathetic to say, which made me feel quite devalued as a customer . She also seemed to have no idea what does happen from the factory to when the product is sent to the customer. Very patronizing and unsympathetic, and then had the nerve to say in a cheery voice, 'You have a great day!"
All I can do is wait for the THIRD mop to arrive. I really hope the third time is the charm, because as it stands now, I will not be purchasing any more Eureka products in the future. I guess I am more upset about this than I thought, because I didn't realize what a long review this was until I just went back to read it again!
Customer Review: Ok, but others are much better
Summary: 3 Stars
Eureka Enviro Steamer
After much research I selected the Eureka based on the overwhelmingly favorable reviews. However, I've been using it for two weeks and I'm returning it after buying the Shark Steam Pocket and comparing the two side by side.
The Eureka's drawbacks are:
Cord is way too short to do more than one small room. When I do my kitchen/family room I have to move the cord multiple times, stepping all over the newly washed floor to go unplug it.
The waffle textured pads fell apart in the wash the first time I washed them. They started unraveling all around the edges. They seem like they'd be good for scrubbing dirty spots but instead they make it hard to push the steamer across the floor. (I have ceramic tile, laminate, and vinyl flooring in my house and it's hard to push on everything but the vinyl.)
You can't turn it horizontally to do baseboards. It stays flat on the floor only. If you turn it so that the bottom of the steamer is against the wall the steam doesn't come out. Plus it weighs a ton.
One size fits most places but not all - I can't get it behind the toilet, for instance.
You have to let it heat up and cool down on this little tray to protect the floor. Sounds good, right? Well, you have to drag the tray along with you as you go because very time you run out of water and have to refill it has to sit on that tray again while it reheats.
You can't use it on carpet because it won't slide. Believe me, I tried!
The handle is not ergonomically designed at all. Very uncomfortable to use for an extended period of time.
Has to be stored in an upright position on the tray.
It's pros are:
It does a pretty good job at cleaning but I think microfiber cloths would make it easier to push along.
The removable/retractable handle make it easy to clean counters. My granite island was gleaming after the first time I cleaned it.
But I'm keeping the Shark Pocket Mop even though it cost almost twice as much for the following reasons:
Microfiber pads ARE much easier to push along, and do just as good of a job cleaning. They hold up in the wash better too.
Different shaped heads for different sized jobs, including a carpet slider. The triangular head gets behind the toilet.
The cord is about twice as long as the Enviro Steamer's cord.
It can be placed against the wall to do baseboards. My baseboards were pretty dusty in the corners and now they look great with NO SCRUBBING!
It comes with a nubby microfiber cover that's great for dusting. I used in on my glass coffee table and it got rid of grimy fingerprints in one pass.
The handle is MUCH more comfortable to hold and because it's circular, you can hang it to store.
The floor dries within about 2 minutes flat, whereas the floors dry in about 7-10 minutes with the Enviro Steamer.
The Shark feels a little less substantial because it weighs a lot less (at least it feels that way to the user) and I hope it's well made and won't break anytime soon, but overall it was far superior to the Enviro Steamer.
I am so thrilled with steam cleaning that I just ordered the handheld steamer to do windows, mirrors, bathrooms, etc. I won't ever have to buy Swiffer wets or Clorox Wipes again!